Round 3 – Proposed GMA 8 Desired Futures Conditions in Bell County
We held the
public
hearing to accept public comment on the proposed Desired Future
Conditions (“DFCs”) for the Edwards BFZ Aquifer and the Trinity Aquifer in Bell
County Texas, in accordance with Section 36.108(d-2) of the Texas Water Code.
The purpose of the hearing is to provide interested members of the public the
opportunity to appear and provide comments to our Board of Directors only for
the purpose related to the proposed DFCs.
CUWCD
is one of eleven groundwater conservation districts located wholly or partially
within Groundwater Management Area 8 (“GMA 8”); the other districts in GMA 8
include Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District, Middle Trinity
Groundwater Conservation District, North Texas Groundwater Conservation
District, Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, Post Oak Savannah
Groundwater Conservation District, Prairielands Groundwater Conservation
District, Red River Groundwater Conservation District, Saratoga Underground
Water Conservation District, Southern Trinity Groundwater Conservation
District, and Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.
At
the last GMA 8 joint planning meeting, held on October 27, 2020 the district
representatives voted to approve the proposed DFCs, which were distributed to
the districts on November 5, 2020 to begin the 90-day comment period that
closes at 5:00 pm on Wednesday February 3, 2021.
The
proposed DFCs approved by the district representatives in GMA 8 are described
in terms of acceptable drawdown levels for each subdivision of the Trinity
Aquifer and maintaining spring flow for Edwards BFZ Aquifer.
In
accordance with Section 36.108 (d-2) and Section 36.108 (d-3) the
district shall compile for consideration at the next joint planning meeting of
GMA8 after the June 1, 2021 deadline a summary of relevant comments received,
any suggested revisions to the proposed desired future conditions and our basis
for the proposed revisions. I anticipate the next GMA 8 meeting will fall in later
June – July 2021 of this year. The statutory deadline to adopt the DFC’s for
GMA8 is January 5, 2022.
The
acceptable levels of drawdown for each
subdivision of the Trinity Aquifer are measured in terms of water level
drawdowns in feet over the current planning cycle which extends from 2010 to 2080.
For CUWCD, the relevant proposed DFCs for the geologic layers of the Trinity
Aquifer include the following:
- From estimated year 2010 conditions, the
average drawdown of the Glen Rose Layer should not exceed approximately 83 feet
by the year 2080.
- From estimated year 2010 conditions, the
average drawdown in the Hensell Layer should not exceed approximately 145 feet
by the year 2080.
- From estimated year 2010 conditions, the
average drawdown in the Hosston Layer should not exceed approximately 375 feet
by the year 2070.
For
the northern segment of the Edwards
(Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer within GMA 8 the proposed DFCs within
CUWCD boundaries are as follows:
• Maintain at least 100 acre-feet per month of stream/spring flow
in Salado Creek during a repeat of the drought of record in Bell County.
The
hearing was properly noticed by posting the notice at the District Courthouse
in Belton on December 23rd @ 8:14 a.m. as well as in public notice in both the Temple Daily
Telegram and the Killeen Daily Herald on December
23rd. In accordance the district shall provide and will continue
to provide the public the opportunity at the district headquarters and the
district website full access of the proposed desired future conditions and any
supporting materials, such as documentation of factors considered under
subsection (d) and groundwater availability model run results. The above
notifications occurred 21 days prior to the January 13, 2021 hearing thus
meeting the minimum ten-day notice per Section
36.108 (d-2) the Texas Water Code prior to today.
All
interested parties can receive copies of any information related to the DFC
Determination process by going to:
https://www.dropbox/GMA8
Run 11 & Support Documents
Those wishing to provide written comment on the proposed DFCs do so by emailing daaron@cuwcd.org, fax: 254-933-8396. Call 254-933-0120 and deliver comments to 700 Kennedy Court, Belton, TX 76513 or mail comments to P.O. Box 1989, Belton, TX 76513.
If
interested parties can provide written comments regarding the hearing or the
DFCs proposed and those comments need to be received at the District by close
of business on February 3, 2021.